Because Narragansett High School is fairly small, many students do not take the entire passing period to get to class. My CT uses the time in which students come in early to answer any quick questions or briefly engage them in light conversation. He focuses the conversation towards the students and what he knows about each individual, some having to do with a sport or club they are involved in, and others having to do with something else the student must have divulged to him earlier. Because he utilizes this extra time, order was established in his room about two minutes after the final bell rang.
In the particular block period that I observed, the class was starting a lab that they had been introduced to at the end of the previous class. My CT took a few minutes to refresh his students memories on what they were doing and by 5-8 minutes into the class students were settled and doing their work. Because it was important to get the students right into the lab to make sure they had time to do their presentations, he did not check homework until the end of the period. He went around to each student with his grade book and checked the work individually, with answers to be reviewed at the start of the next class.
Overall, I really enjoyed the lab that my teacher created to discuss the law. It went along with my belief that students cannot just memorize formulas, but should be able to apply and analyze them. His tactics in the beginning of the class of engaging students in conversation individually confirmed the opinions I already had on how important it is for teachers to take personal interest in their students’ lives. It is clear that they respect his interest which carries over to the time they spend in his class and is part of why he is able to get his group to settle down so quickly. As far as homework assessment, I will have to see if just checking that it is complete is the norm for the class or just because it was rushed. Remembering my own experiences from high school because there is writing on the page that looks like answers does not always mean that the assignment is complete. I also think that homework should be checked before the start of class because it usually has to do with a previous chapter and if there are questions they need to be answered before moving on to different or more difficult content.
I enjoyed the class that I observed immensely. I found that the time was broken down fairly within the block period, and the lab was extremely well thought out. I look forward to going back and observing more lessons and learn more about the breakdown of class time and room management.
Because Narragansett High School is fairly small, many students do not take the entire passing period to get to class. My CT uses the time in which students come in early to answer any quick questions or briefly engage them in light conversation. He focuses the conversation towards the students and what he knows about each individual, some having to do with a sport or club they are involved in, and others having to do with something else the student must have divulged to him earlier. Because he utilizes this extra time, order was established in his room about two minutes after the final bell rang.
In the particular block period that I observed, the class was starting a lab that they had been introduced to at the end of the previous class. My CT took a few minutes to refresh his students memories on what they were doing and by 5-8 minutes into the class students were settled and doing their work. Because it was important to get the students right into the lab to make sure they had time to do their presentations, he did not check homework until the end of the period. He went around to each student with his grade book and checked the work individually, with answers to be reviewed at the start of the next class.
Overall, I really enjoyed the lab that my teacher created to discuss the law. It went along with my belief that students cannot just memorize formulas, but should be able to apply and analyze them. His tactics in the beginning of the class of engaging students in conversation individually confirmed the opinions I already had on how important it is for teachers to take personal interest in their students’ lives. It is clear that they respect his interest which carries over to the time they spend in his class and is part of why he is able to get his group to settle down so quickly. As far as homework assessment, I will have to see if just checking that it is complete is the norm for the class or just because it was rushed. Remembering my own experiences from high school because there is writing on the page that looks like answers does not always mean that the assignment is complete. I also think that homework should be checked before the start of class because it usually has to do with a previous chapter and if there are questions they need to be answered before moving on to different or more difficult content.
I enjoyed the class that I observed immensely. I found that the time was broken down fairly within the block period, and the lab was extremely well thought out. I look forward to going back and observing more lessons and learn more about the breakdown of class time and room management.